Moving, Moving, Moving

It seems that moving is the order of the day here at Gracies Bakes.
We are moving house, and town and now we have moved location.

All your favourite recipes and sweets can now be found here.

Come and visit soon.

xx

Gadget of the Month

I am a terrible shopper.

Let me clarify that...

I forget to write a list, dash round the store picking up things that I think I need and then I get distracted by something shiny and new, buy it and get home and realise that I have forgotten something vital, like the lemons for a lemon cake, or the chocolate for a chocolate mousse.

I have been trying to curb my spending recently as I am "saving" money for the house and the nice things that are necessities. Like carpets and floors!

MIU Silicone Bowl Scraper, Blue">

THIS is the latest shiny and new wonder that I have found. A silicone scraper.

While I survived just fine when I didn't have one, I now wonder what I did without it. No more will you go at the bottom of a mixing bowl with a small spatula trying to get all the little last bits out of it and into the cake tin. Two, possibly three scrapes, will have all the batter in the tin with no waste. Lets face it in these recessionary times, none of us like to see anything go to waste.

However, if you like to lick the bowl, you could always leave a little in the bottom of the bowl. Just to taste of course!

Costing in the region of €8 they are quite cheap and very handy to have. And lets face it, they won't break the bank!

Mine is a lovely baby pink colour, and matches the lovely large mixing bowls and knives that I have.

Enjoy!

Orls

I *HEART* Sunshine

It makes things seem very happy and bright.

Sunshine puts everyone in good form and it has certainly made the trauma of moving house a little more bearable! Rests from packing and moving are taken in the garden with a nice cool glass of lemonade and some fresh chilled strawberries. 

However, the ongoing moving means that my lovely baking things are all packed away as I have moved back in with my parents until my house is actually finished! This means that baking is taking a bit of a back seat and I am concentrating on getting house fitted out and buying things like carpets, furniture, and ovens! 

I am very excited about the kitchen that is going in soon, (next week with some luck!) 

In this kitchen will sit my new pride and joy, a Fisher and Paykel double range oven. At 4ft wide,it is like a mothership, and its size has meant that the general layout of the kitchen has needed some tweaking. Some of the units are smaller than the show house, but I was in with the designer last week, and I have signed off on the final plans.

Here is a little pic of the mothership.

DDWGX1 - Fisher & Paykel Freestanding Cookers Exterior view">

Check out the specs here. 

A quick note on the price of the oven.... If you are near to the border, or even a few hours from it, the drive is really worth it given that the savings are immense versus the Euro Price. Suffice to say that Mr. Cowen and his chums are ruining Irish retailers with their increase in VAT rates. Most of the retailers that I have spoken to in Northern Ireland will deliver for free or for a minimal cost as they are delighted with all the business they are getting.

And here's the stinger...

The appliances come through the port in Dublin! Go Figure. 

On that note, I am off to spend some hard earned cash on an oven that I could probably live in if I wanted! 

More posts to follow shortly. We at Gracie's have some exciting news coming soon. Can't say much but will fill you all in as soon as we can. 

Enjoy the weather. It probably won't last! 

Orls xxx

Sourdough Bread

Sourdough is one of those breads that people tend to stay away from as it appears to be difficult. In fairness, it is not all that difficult, but is very very time consuming. As in it has to be started 4 days or so before you want to bake it. However, it is well worth the effort and just think how impressed everyone will be that you made your own! 

There are three parts to this bread. The starter, the sponge and the dough. 

For the starter, you make this 4 days you want to make it. 

You will need; 

150g rye or strong white flour, 

a pinch of yeast from easy-blend yeast sachet, 

half a teaspoon of milk, approx 200ml water

Combine the flour, the yeast and milk and as much water to make a mixture like a thick pancake batter, and leave, loosely covered for 3 days. 

For the Sponge you will need: 

180ml of the starter, 

180ml warm water, 100g rye or strong white flour

Mix all the ingredients together and leave tightly covered for 12-18 hours. The longer time is better but if you only have the 12 hours, that is fine. 

For the dough you will need; 

375g wholemeal bread flour (if for the rye sourdough) or 500g strong white flour,

the rest of the easy blend yeast sachet or 15 g of fresh yeast, 

all the sponge from above,  1 scant tablespoon salt, 

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (for the rye only) 

250-300ml warm water,  Vegetable oil for greasing 

Put the flour and yeast in a large bowl, and then stir in the other ingredients until you have a messy dough. Knead either by hand or by machine adding more flour as needed to form a smooth, dense dough. 

Form into a ball and pit in an oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to double in size, either overnight in a cold place or in the fridge, or in a warm place for an hour or so. 

When the dough has gotten big, punch it down have knead for 1-2 mins and form into a round loaf, and sit it covered with a tea towel on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200C and let the oven warm up while the loaf is left for about 30 mins until puffy. 

Uncover the bread, and score the top of the loaf. The knife should be very sharp so that it scores through the dough easily. Otherwise, the bread will deflate. 

Transfer to the oven to bake for about 45 mins or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. 

Allow to cool and enjoy with soups, cheese, meats. Or on it's own with some nicely flavoured olive oil. 

Orls xxx

Proving a point!

Bread can be time consuming. Kneading the dough can take a long time, especially if you use strong flour. 

Then you have to leave the bread to prove. 

Basically, letting your bread prove, means that you are letting the yeast time to work and raise the dough. Generally, to do this you cover the dough with a damp tea towel and put it  in a draught free, warm place for 30-40 mins until it has about doubled in size. 

The scientific explanation is here.

I don't understand it fully, but I do know that every single time that I make bread, I get a little kick when I draw back the tea towel to discover that the dough is all puffy and pretty. 

yum yum! 

Orls xxx

Olive & Rosemary Focaccia Bread

I love family occasions where you get to sit around, eat good food, drink a little wine and chat and catch up with the relatives that you see once or twice a year. 

This weekend, I spent the night in Galway with family in honour of my cousin's confirmation. There was a gathering afterwards with about 25 people so I offered to make some breads.

I decided that an olive and rosemary focaccia bread would be just the ticket. 

I love focaccia. Its olivey moistness and aftertaste. Now, it may come as a surprise that I love Olive oil, but I don't particularly like olives. I have tried to eat them, but I just find the really really intense. A little too intense. 

But I love focaccia bread with plates of antipasti with hummous, some meats, some olive oil and balsamic to dip it in. And some cheese. 

To make this focaccia bread you will need. 

310ml warm water, 7g/1 sachet dried yeast 

2tsp caster sugar, 3.5 tbsp olive oil,

450g plain flour, 2tsp sea salt flakes 

1.5 tbs fresh rosemary leaves & 20 kalamata olives (pitted) 

Combine the water, yeast and sugar and 2 tbs of the oil in a small bowl. Set aside in a warm draught free place for 5 mins or until frothy. 

Place the flour and half of the salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon and stir until combined, then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. 

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place the dough in the bowl and cover in cling wrap and set in a warm place for 45 mins until doubled in size. 

Preheat your oven to 200C. Brush a swiss roll pan with 2 tsp of oil. Punch down the centre of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 mins until the dough is its original size. Press into the prepared tin and allow to prove for 20 mins( again until doubled in height) 

Use your finger to poke dimples in the dough and place the olives in. Brush with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the rosemary. I actually stuck the rosemary into the bread. 

Bake in the oven for about 25-30 mins, until golden. 

Remove from the oven and either serve warm, or at room temperature. 

We enjoyed it with a variety of amazing dishes, beef in Guinness, a tagine that was sweet and warm with a lingering taste of moreish-ness, a couscous dish, chickpea and mango salad and a really really delicious dhal. 

The best thing about the day was definitely seeing some family that I hadn't seen since before Christmas, and seeing those that I hadn't seen in a lot more time! 

Enjoy this bread with family or friends, some other nice food, some nice wine and most importantly, laughter! 

Orls xxx

 

Double Chocolate Mousse with Chilli and Pistachio

I realise that I have been very lazy of late with my blog, and the main reason for this is because I have just purchased my first ever house. 

My time has been spent doing house things like signing contracts, looking at floors and carpets and also, excitingly, designing my new kitchen! All going well, I will have moved in by the middle of July! 

While very scary, it is very very exciting that I am going to have a home that I can call my own (well in 35 years I will!!!)

Because of the lack of time, I have also been a little lax in seeing friends and catching up for chats, so I asked my lovely friend Mrs. D to come over for dinner last night with Mr. C and I. 

Nice food, good company, nice chats and a game of monopoly all made for a lovely evening. 

I decided that such a night, deserved a rather decadent dessert, and while leafing through a (new) cookbook called Fantastico! I came across a recipe for a Double Chocolate Mousse, with Pistachio and Chilli. 

It is a really simple recipe and can be made hours in advance of your party meaning that you can spend time with your friends, and not in the kitchen. Sounds like my kind of dessert. 

The combination of the chocolate and pistachios means a scattering of nuts through the mousse. The chilli adds a little kick which leaves a nice after effect of heat. And don't worry, the alcohol is very subtle, and certainly doesn't over power the chocolate.

You will need: 

150g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces, 

100g good quality white chocolate, broken into pieces, 

3 medium eggs, separated, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, 

8 tablespoons of crushed pistachios (reserve a few for decorating) 

1 small, medium hot chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced. 

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 

250ml double cream, softly whipped. 

Melt all the chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. 

Beat together the egg yolks and the caster sugar until pale and creamy. 

In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. 

Use a metal spoon to fold the chocolate into the egg yolks. Add the pistachios, the chilli and the Grand Marnier ( I actually used Hennessy Cognac as I didn't have any Grand Marnier!) Mix well and fold in the cream gently. Lastly, very gently, fold in the egg whites, and combine all the ingredients. 

Pour the mousse into 4x250ml glasses, or 6 smaller ones, or even 8!* 

Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours. Just before serving, remove the cling and decorate with the pistachios and some slivers of chilli! 

* I used these cute little espresso sets to serve the chocolate mousse. With a saucer and an espresso spoon, they really add to the oomph of the dessert. As I mentioned the mousse is quite rich, so this amount was perfect. 

I had plenty left over as there were just the three of us for dinner, so I may just have to have some again for dessert this evening. It would be terrible to have it go to waste, wouldn't it??? 

Enjoy. 

Orls xxx

He Ain't Heavy,

He's my brother. And he is pretty cool.

Mr. C and I spent yesterday in the Ashbourne Rugby Club cheering on my brothers team Boyne, in the Provincial Towns Cup Final against a strong Tullamore team.

Thankfully, Boyne won the cup, for the first time ever (the club was formed in 1997 from the old teams of Delvin and Drogheda. Delvin won the cup in the 1960's. Drogheda never won it) and brought the silver wear back to Co. Louth.
Via the bar in the club house in Ashbourne!

The weather was amazing and the atmosphere was electric as Boyne fought hard to ensure that victory was theirs. My "little" brother scored the first try which was pretty great! However, the entire Boyne team and support team worked their hearts out and serious kudos is due to everyone!

My "little" brother, Niall on his way to score a try!

There were two great write ups in the national papers this morning about the match, and you can read them here and here

Suffice to say that the win, the good weather and the all round happiness meant that a few beers were consumed in the immediate aftermath of the game.

Mr. C and I made our way back to Dublin and picked up a takeaway from Bombay Pantry and had a few more beers. Not too many though as work beckoned this morning.
I am more than a little jealous that the rest of the family had the knowledge to take today off to aid in their recovery... Obviously confident in Boyne's ability!!!

More baking beckons later in the week. I am very busy with the day job meaning that I will need some de stressing by Wednesday!

Best run. the sun is calling me and my rapidly increasing freckles.

Hip Hip Hooray for Summer. And Boyne of course!

Orls xxx

Raindrops on roses...

The weather here at the moment is pretty terrible. By terrible I mean raining ALL day, and cold with it. Not the kind of weather I want to wake up to on an April Morning.... Especially not that Easter is over.
Surely there is a rule that says rain after Easter should only occur at night to make sure that plants are still watered etc?

As well as bad weather the news is nearly all bad. Recession, the economy is failing (we know!), strikes, job losses, and murders.
I don't know about anyone else, but I have been thinking about things that make me happy to try to counter the gloom! Or at least put a temporary smile on my face.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts
These are a few of my raindrops on roses...

1: Mr. C
2: my family, and realising that they will always be there for me
3: my lovely friends
4: baking a cake that looks like it is meant to. And tastes like it is meant to!
5: walking on the beach, with my dogs, with Mr. C, on my own. Barefoot.
6: running in the rain. and not caring if I get wet.
7: hearing a really hearty laugh. from anyone.
8: a really hot, soya latte, sitting in a park barefoot not worrying about getting back to the office in time
9: listening to music that I haven't heard in a while and remembering when I heard it first. And remembering what I was doing when I heard it.
10: taking a good photo, and having it forever. Capturing a moment!
11: planning my new kitchen (this could change depending on how stressful it becomes!!)
12: Electric Picnic with Hellers, peddling vodka tonic's and foot shaped biccies on anyone who passed.
13: being 29. and not worrying about what comes next. (this could also change as I get closer to 30!)
14: a good , cheap meal surrounded by friends, a few beers, a guitar and a sense of enjoying the moment.

These are in no particular order. They just jumped into my head.
I hope that you can add to these or write your own list. Keep it somewhere handy. Have a look at it when you need a little lift.

Orls
xx

Makin' Whoopie.

Whoopie Pies that is.

Having received 2 mails in as many days from 2 friends on different continents (Hellers in Dublin and Grace in Sydney) I knew that I had to make these little wonders.

Their name is slightly rude, funny and suggestive and lets face it, give you no idea at all of what they are.

Some Belgian cocoa that was lurking in the back of the press that was a gift from a friend (and was being kept for a special occasion) was hauled out in order to make some Whoopie.


To make the pies, you will need:

125g butter at room temp

1 cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 & one quarter teaspoon baking powder

one half teaspoon sea salt, 2 cups of flour

one half cup cocoa, one third cup of small chocolate chips

1 cup butter milk

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Cream the butter and eggs together and add the egg and vanilla until creamy and light. In a separate bowl, whisk the baking soda, flour, salt and cocoa together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture little by little, alternating with the buttermilk. Ensure that it is well combined.

Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop or two dessert spoons, scoop out 12 mounds of batter onto a greaseproof pan and place 6 inches apart. Bake until the tops are puffed and the cakes spring back when touched - about 12 mins.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before moving. The pies will be very delicate until completely cool.

When cooled, melt 125g of marshmallows in a bain marie with 2 teaspoons of water. Allow the mallows to cool for about 20 mins before filling as the mixture is very runny!
Place the filling on one side and gently place the other side together.
Place the pies into large cupcake cases for easy eating.
To store, place in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and to freeze wrap individually for up to 3 months.

Make Whoopie, eat and enjoy. :)

Orls xx

P.S, As an alternative, and more decadent filling, you could use a white chocolate ganache which has been infused with Vanilla Pods. Scrape a vanilla pod into 250ml of double cream. Put the pod in too and bring to the boil. Allow to cool for about 10 mins and pour through a strainer onto 250g of grated white chocolate. Leave to sit for about 5 mins and then stir until it starts to thicken. Leave to set. Pipe into the Whoopie pies and enjoy.

Hot Cross Buns

I have never tried to make Hot Cross Bun's before as they always seemed like a lot of hard work. This year however, I had a baking fest this week.

These buns are from Feast by Nigella. They take 2 days in total as you need to let the dough prove so make the dough the day before you want to bake them.

For the dough you will need ;

150ml milk, 50g butter, zest of one orange, 1 clove, 2 cardamom pods,

400g strong white flour, 1 packet of easy blend yeast (7g)

125g mixed dried fruit, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,

one half teaspoon ground nutmeg, one half teaspoon ground ginger

1 egg

heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse.

Measure the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature, take out the clove and cardamom pods and beat in the egg.

Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Knead the dough either by hand or with a machine and keep kneading until you have a silky elastic dough. Form a ball and place in a buttered bowl and cover in cling film and place in the fridge overnight to prove.

It will have doubled in size.

Punch the air out of the dough and knead it again until smooth. Divide into 16 small balls and shape into smooth round buns. Sit the buns on to a lined baking dish and score a cross into the buns with the back of a knife. Cover with a clean tea towel. Leave for about 45 mins in a warm place to prove again.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Brush the buns with an egg wash (beat an egg with a little milk). To make the crosses for the buns mix;

3 table spoons plain flour, 2 tablespoons water, half tablespoon caster sugar

to form a thick paste. Drizzle the paste over the buns where the scored cross is.

Bake in the hot oven for 15-20 mins.

When the buns come out of the oven, mix one tablespoon of caster sugar and one tablespoon of boiling water and brush onto the hot buns to form a shiny glaze.

Enjoy hot from the oven with some melted butter and some jam. Otherwise, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To serve, heat gently in a medium oven for 5 mins and have as a mid morning snack, or mid afternoon, or even midnight snack!

You will be amazed at the subtlety of the cardamom and orange. yum!!!

Orls xx

When Life Throws you Lemons,

Get hold of some poppy seeds and make muffins! Easy!

In the wake of a very nasty and severe emergency budget on April 7th, I decided that the only thing to cheer me up was to do what makes me happy. And that is baking!

To make these muffins you will need:

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

225g caster sugar, 300g self raising flour

2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

1 egg, lightly beaten

225ml milk, 60g butter melted

Preheat the oven to 200c, and grease a 12 cup non-stick muffin tin. You don't need to line it with paper cups.

Mix 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the flour, poppy seeds, and remaining sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining zest, lemon juice, egg, milk and melted butter. Add this to the flour and sugar mixture and stir until combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and sprinkle the tops with the sugar and lemon mixture.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until risen and golden.


As soon as they are out of the oven, mix 100g of sifted icing sugar and the juice of one lemon together to make a glaze and drizzle over the muffins (this is why you don't need the paper cases, as they get all gooey and sticky).

Enjoy with a nice cup of tea and let all your worries float away. Including any of the horrid thoughts about the budget and the "R" word!

Orls xxx

P.S. When life throws you lemons you could also make lemonade. Or throw them right back!

I Act Like I Don't Remember,

Josh Ritter is one of my all time favourite musicians and I have seen him play live countless times, from a church in Dublin to a rugby club in Tullamore via a little parochial hall size venue in New York City, and each time during the gig, I have been moved to complete silence at least once. I have also been known to shed a tear at some quieter moments.

He has, more than once, sang a spine tingling version of The River, by Bruce Springsteen. Stepping in front of the mic, at a full venue in Dublin and starting this, the crowd descended into complete silence and whispered the song along with him. Definitely one of the teary moments.

Well, this link of Josh Ritter singing The River arrived in my inbox this morning and it certainly made my day. Hope that it makes your Monday slightly more bearable.


Orls xx

You've gotta roll with it...

As I have mentioned over the last few posts, I was on the Ray D'arcy show on Today FM last thursday having asked for some traditional Irish biscuit recipes for St. Patricks Day. I baked four treats and Ray and the others in the studio decided which one was the winner.
Now while figs are not traditionally Irish, one listener did say that she had three fig trees in her garden and that was enough to swing the vote!
So the winning recipe was Figgy Slices, a variation of the fig roll.
While the original recipe calls for port, I am not one for drinks in food so I just used apple juice.

For the figgy paste, you will need a half a pound of dried figs chopped, 80mls of apple juice, and about 30mls of lemon juice. Place the figs and juice in an airtight jar and soak for at least 12 hours. I use a kilner jar with a rubberised seal.

Pour out most of the juice from the mixture before blitzing to a paste that looks like a tapenade.

For the pastry mix, you will need;

175g plain flour, 100g butter at room temperature, 50g caster sugar

Put the flour in a bowl and add the butter in cubes. Rub together until like bread crumbs. Then add the caster sugar and combine until a thick dough. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

Double the pastry you make so that you have one for the top and one for the bottom.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thickness. Place on a large baking tray line with silpat or parchment.

Spread the fig mixture out onto the pastry like a thick jam. Roll out the second piece of pastry and place on top of the figgy mixture.

Bake for about 15-20 mins but keep a keen eye on the oven from 15 mins so that it doesn't burn.

Allow to cool before cutting.

When completely cool, cut the edges off to keep straight.

Don't feel that you have to make them into slices. Mess around with the shapes. For one of the batches I made I rolled out some pastry flat, spread the fig mix down the middle and rolled it. I told everyone that now I know just how they get the figs into the fig rolls!!!

When I was in the studio last week, I had a lovely surprise from the team telling me that Ina's Kitchen Desserts, in Dublin were going to make the winning recipe for me. The show are doing their "Feel Good Tour" starting in Carlingford, Co Louth on Friday, March 20th (tomorrow), and the lovely people in Ina's have made over 160 of my figgy slices for the good folks that are attending!

I was very very happy and I am also very very nervous to see how they are going to react to them! I will find out in the morning. Along with the rest of the country!!!

Fingers Crossed!!!

Tune into Today FM and listen online from 9am to see whether they are a hit. Or a miss!!!

I also just want to thank Ray, Jenny, Mairead, Will and Siobhan for letting me visit them with cakes! And thanks to Bernard in Ina's for making my figgy slices!!! It is all very exciting!

Orls xxx

Ginger (nuts)rule!

Another recipe that was suggested by the listeners to the Ray D'arcy show on Today FM last week was Ginger Nuts. I believe that it was all tongue in cheek but, it did make me think whether it would be possible to get the same consistency as shop bought ones. And whether I could achieve the burny sensation that I get when I eat about 5 of them at a time.

I did some investigating and I found , and tried the following. While they don't have the tooth breaking crunch of shop ginger nuts, they have a very satisfying crunch, and a slightly softer centre. And yes they have the burny sensation!

Pre heat your oven to 160C. Line a large baking tray with silpat.

You will need;

8oz plain flour, 2tsp ground ginger, half tsp of ground cinnamon

4oz light brown sugar, 2 oz of black treacle

one half tsp bicarbonate of soda

3oz butter

Sift the flour, cinnamon and ginger into a large heatproof bowl and add the sugar.

In a saucepan, heat the butter and treacle until melted. The add the bicarbonate of soda and stir gently. The mixture will take on a very odd, fluffy look. Add this to the flour mix and stir until combined.

The mixture will look like sand, and will feel a little like sand to the touch, but that is normal.

Take a tablespoon size amount of mixture and pack tightly into a ball in your hand. Place on the baking tray and flatten down. Don't worry if the mix cracks a little. You will see that when it cooks it looks like the real thing!

Bake for 15-18 mins. Allow to cool and store in an airtight jar.

Enjoy with a cuppa. And let the ginger take hold!!! Not just saying this but I actually prefer these over the shop bought ones!!!!

Orls

PS Gracie, my lovely girl in Oz has been looking forward to this recipe!Hope you enjoy!

Oats so tasty!

I have been having problems with my computer over the last week hence the lack of posting. It was "preparing to hibernate" for 3 days. Very frustrating, and worrying as I thought that I had lost lots of images that I hadn't got round to backing up! Anyway. I am back in action.

Last week, I was on the Ray D'arcy programme on TodayFM. After asking for help in coming up with an Irish biscuit recipe, the common ingredient in a lot of the suggestions was oats. They are one of the only ingredients or foods that are known to actively lower cholesterol. They are low in fat and are a low GI food too. Meaning that they are all round good for you. Horray!!

I adapted a lovely recipe to include fresh blackberries.

Pre heat the oven to 180C and line 2 fairly big baking trays with parchment.

You will need;

170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

215 g light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract

105g plain flour, one half tsp baking soda

one half tsp salt, one half tsp cinnamon

260g rolled porridge oats

200g blackberries

Cream the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth in an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the oats. The mixture will be heavy so it is best to do this last part by hand.

Before adding the berries, bake in a hot oven for about 30 mins. This will sweeten them up nicely. Add them to the batter. They will be very soft and will squash up but this adds to the colour and the texture of the cookies once cooked.

For large cookies, take a large tablespoon of batter and space the cookies about 2 inches apart. Wet your hand and flatten down on the tray, so that they are about half an inch thick. Bake for about 15 mins, or until golden at the edges and still soft in the middle.

Remove from the ovens and let cool or a few mins on the tray before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Other suggestions that I made for the show were Ginger nuts and a variation of fig rolls. There was also some very exciting news when I was on the show!

More to follow tomorrow and Friday!

Orls xx

Biscotti for Breakfast

I love biscotti dipped in a frothy hot soya latte,when the coffee is in the dough, mixed with some slightly melted chocolate chips and whole almonds. I have yet to come across shop bought ones as nice as the ones I make. Now I am sure that an Italian would tell me that my biscotti are not actually biscotti, but for arguments sake, that is what I call them.

Without any coffee to soften them, they are very hard and crunchy. Dipped in coffee (or tea if you prefer) they soften a little and are yummy. The recipe I use comes from Feast, by Nigella and is called Breakfast Biscotti. While I find them a little sweet for breakfast, I can just about bear them just as I finish my cereal!

Preheat the oven to 180C. You will need:

1 large egg, room temperature,

100g caster sugar, one half tsp vanilla extract

a couple drops of almond essence, 125g plain flour

one half tsp of baking powder, one quarter tsp salt

50g natural shelled almonds, 75g dark chocolate chips

Whisk the egg and sugar until pale and creamy, until it leaves a ribbony trail behind when you lift the whisk out. Beat in the vanilla and almond. Slowly fold in the flour, salt and baking powder.

When the mixture is combined, fold in the whole almonds and the chocolate.

Then form the dough into a log shape of about 25cm x 5cm, slightly tapering at the ends. I use silpat to lay it on.

Place in the oven and bake for about 25mins. It will be pale brown in colour. Take out of the oven and leave for about 5 mins to harden a little. Then slice in diagonal 1cm slices.

Put these back on the baking tray on their side and place back into the oven for another 4-5 mins.

Let the biscotti cool on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. However, I dare you to see whether you can resist them for more than 2 days! I make them and give them away!!!

Orls.

xx

I had a few friends around for dinner at the weekend and I made a few nice treats that are going to make appearances here over the next few days, as well as some Irish treats for Paddy's Day, and some exciting news!

Home Comforts

For me, total comfort food includes my mum's roast dinners, my mums pavlova, and my grand-mothers home made brown bread, still warm from the oven, with melted butter, dripping off the sides.

When my mum used to visit her, she would send a few loaves of bread up for me. You would travel miles for it. That and her homemade strawberry jam. I can taste it now!!
However, my granny didn't exactly have a recipe for the bread. It was a bit haphazard and was a cup of this, and a handful of that. I think that it was one of my aunts who followed her around the kitchen one afternoon measuring and weighing everything , and then kindly shared the recipe with us.

I make it in a big batch, and freeze about 3 of the loaves to keep for later. Otherwise I would eat it all!

You need to pre-heat the oven to 200C. And grease and flour 4 loaf tins.
You will need;

8oz white flour, 2.5lbs wheaten flour

3tsp soda, 2.5 oz margarine

2oz sugar, 2oz oatmeal, 2oz wheatgerm,

5oz bran, pinch of salt

1 litre & half pint of buttermilk

Mix the flours and the salt together and rub the margarine in as much as you can.
Mix the rest of the dry ingredients into the flour mix. Add the milk and mix really well and knead.

Turn the mixture into the loaf tins and flatten the top. Score the surface of the bread with a knife.
Place in the oven at 200 for 30 mins. Then turn down the heat to 130 and bake for a further 30 mins.
Allow the bread to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.




Enjoy the bread warm from the oven with butter and jam. Or toast it and have with a runny poached egg.

Orls
xxx

Ps: I have made this bread dairy free in the past. Substitute the margarine with soya spread and instead of buttermilk, use soya spread with vinegar. For every cup of soyamilk, add a one tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Wait for about 20 mins until the mix has curdled. Then add to the mixture as normal.

And the Winner Is...

I really don't know what I am going to do without my Masterchef fix of an evening. I had really gotten into it.
I remember when Lloyd Grossman used to present it on a Sunday evening and my mother insisted on watching it, while we ate our usual Sunday tea of crisp and cheese sandwiches! (80's craving alert!!!) Oh how times have changed. You couldn't have dragged me away from the TV tonight. Each and every dish and mouthful of food warranted a text message to Hellers, my MC soul mate.

In my opinion, the right person won. From day one, Mat wanted the title so badly. He wore his heart on his apron, and made no secret of the fact that winning the title would mean better things for his family. He wants to open a restaurant that serves tasty, simple food. I think that he cried every single round!

Tonight, in the final challenge, the contestants travelled to Michelin Starred restaurants in Europe. Mat visited restaurant noma, in Copenhagen (www.noma.dk). This restaurant focuses on Nordic food using simple, natural robust ingredients. Mat played a blinder!

In fairness, the other two competitors, Christopher (who has only been cooking for 3 years!!) and Andy, who was a comeback from last year, also did exceptionally well, and came on in leaps and bounds since the first round.
But, I am very very happy that Mat won. And Hellers and I will definitely be two diners only too happy to visit his restaurant. Anything for a weekend away!

Hooray for Mat!!! I don't know how I am going to manage without my Gregg and John fix each day! Ah well. Celeb Masterchef is being filmed at the mo!

Orls xxx

Oh the trip to Cobh is off. Mrs. D is unwell, so I would like to send her get well soon wishes. I will be baking tomorrow evening and will be making yummy cup cakes for my granny who headbutted her coal bucket last week. She's okay though!

Flipping Marvellous.

Well the pancakes were a treat.
After a terrible day at work, it was nearly 9pm by the time I got home and even thought about food. So Mr. C came round and we had a lovely dinner of Pancakes with lemon and sugar...
I even managed to flip some of them perfectly. It just happened to be when Mr. C wasn't in the room. Doh!

And then we had some with chocolate and bananas, for dessert! They were just what the doctor ordered, and I am sure that the banana's can be counted as part of your five a day.

I think that this picture shows that they were thoroughly enjoyed!!

A trip to Cobh at the weekend will be a lovely break. I haven't been there in about 4 months and I am really looking forward to a trip with Mr. C and my good friend, A-M. I have never travelled there empty handed and I am not about to start now.

So right now, I am watching a programme about the rise of the Super Chef, with a muffin book beside me trying to decide which ones to make,

On the programme, The Rise of the Super Chef, is a very interesting programme about how the "celebrity" chef has come about and how they have, very cleverly, maximised their income through things like endorsing cookery items (or in Antony Worrell Thompson's case, toilet cleaner??) and owning the rights to your programmes (Jamie! he is worth about £40mil)

It is interesting how the public latch onto someone and their "style" of cooking and subsequently buy all their books or the products that they endorse. I know that I am guilty of seeing a chef I like, usually on a TV programme, and buying their book. I currently have about 30 cook books that I browse through regularly. However, I can't say that I have cooked all the recipes from any one of the books.

Perhaps my Lenten promise should be not to buy any more books until I cook all the recipes from the ones I have. However, I fear that I would fail before the weekend is over!

Muffin decisions to be made and shopping lists to write.

Orls xxx

Brighton Rocks, Pancakes and Berts!!!

I spent a very nice and relaxing weekend in Brighton with Mr. C's sister and her lovely husband. After what were a few very busy days, it was nice to get away for a day or two and to just relax and catch up with them both. It is a very exciting time for them as they are moving to their lovely new house! Horray for them!

Brighton is a really lovely place to visit. Apart from the world famous Brighton Pier there is loads to do. Walk along the seafront prom and see all the little beach huts that are so well known. The Lanes are a cornucopia of fudge shops, boutiques, record stores and so much else that it is impossible to list it all. (I must plug the fab leather shop where I bought a Mulberry look-a-like bag for all of £30) If you go, you have to visit the Royal Pavilion, which is a building that is similar in look to the Taj Mahal. It is bang in the middle of the city (this is where Mr. C's sister got married last year!) The vibe in the city is very relaxed and it is the place that the London pretties spend their weekends. I can highly recommend it. Fly to Gatwick and the train will bring you to Brighton or Hove in about 30 mins. Check out http://www.visitbrighton.com/ for more information on things to do and places to stay.


I arrived late on Friday night after an awful flight (I hate flying anyway so any flight as far as I am concerned is awful) so it was an early night. I was only delighted on Saturday morning when breakfast was served to me, and consisted of freshly made pancakes with chocolate and strawberries! Can you credit it? Warm light pancakes, with a few squares of melted chocolate wrapped up and served with chopped strawberries and blackberries, and a large mug of strong, hot coffee. I am going to attempt the same for Mr C tonight, it being pancake Tuesday and all that! I will, hopefully, have perfectly formed pancakes to report on tomorrow....


The recipe that I have used to make my batter (which is resting in the fridge as we speak) is from Nigella's Feast book and calls for :

30g of melted unsalted butter,

150g plain flour,

1 large egg

325ml of milk.

Melt the butter and leave aside to cool.

In a large bowl, sieve the flour to get lots of air in it. Make a well in the middle and break the egg into the centre. Whisk it around until it starts to come together and slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously, to ensure that there are no lumps. You may find that a second person comes in very handy at this point to hold the bowl!!

Once the mixture is all combined, pour in the melted butter and whisk a little more. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge until ready to make. I made my batter yesterday for use today so here's hoping!

While I was in Brighton, Mr C's sister, who is as, if not more enthusiastic about baking and cooking than me, brought me to the wonder that is Berts Homestore. Situated on George Street in Hove, it is a little Aladins cave of all things kitsch, and very very useful for the home, especially the kitchen. Very large cookie cutters for 85p, Jam pot covers and preserving kits, floral bowls. I was like a deer in the headlights. Who could live without a magnetic measurement conversion chart that tells you the weight of fluid ounces??? Not me!

Check out http://www.bertshomestore.co.uk/ for more information and if you are like me, and can't resist a bargain, go the next time you are there! However, probably best not to only have hand luggage as it will be very hard to leave things behind!!!

Orls xxx

Key Lime Cup Cakes

As we all know St Valentines Day was on Saturday. To celebrate, the Alison Curtis Show had an outside broadcast upstairs in Whelans, and I was delighted to provide some treats for the couples that were there, to make things a little fruitier.
One of the bakes was Mini Key Lime Cup Cakes.
Line a 24 hole mini cupcake tray with small cupcake liners. Pre heat the oven to 175C.
For the Cupcakes
1 cup of softened butter , 1 cup superfine sugar (regular sugar, blitzed) 2 cups self raising sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Filling
one third cup of lime juice, one can of condensed milk
For the Meringue
3 egg whites, one quarter teaspoon cream of tartar, one third cup regular sugar


Place all the cupcake ingredients in a blender and beat together until pale and creamy (about 2 - 3 mins)
Place a clean tea towel over the top of the blender until the mixture starts to come together. This should stop it going everywhere.
Pipe the mixture into the tin and bake until risen and golden (about 10 mins) and until a knife comes out clean. Take tin out of the oven and allow to cool. Remove from the tin to a wire rack.

Take the lime juice and condensed milk and mix in a small bowl.

Cut the top off the cupcakes and scoop out a small amount. Fill with the lime mix, and place the top back on.

Make the meringue by whisking the egg whites, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add one third of the sugar and and beat for one minute. Repeat until all the sugar has been added and the mixture is thick and glossy. Pipe onto the top of the cupcakes.





Increase the oven temperature to 230C, and bake the cupcakes for 5 minutes until golden.


Store the cupcakes for no more than one day in an airtight container.

I found that just eating them as fresh as possible (while still slightly warm in the middle) was the very very best. But even colder, I was assured that they were delicious!!

The show from Whelans was great fun and had some amazing music provided by One Day International, Anne Scott and the wonderfully talented Duke Special. This picture is especially for my lovely girlie G who has relocated temporarily to the sunnier climes of Sydney Australia, and who I miss a lot!!!! While email rocks, 'tis not the same as running 10 miles and righting all the wrongs of the world. Right ??? So G, I hope that you like the picture below and the ones that are also on www.flickr.com/orlak

Orls xxx

I have just realised that my blog has become about baking and some photos with no running at all.
I have had very little energy recently and I have not been able to get up early in the mornings and I have been too tired to go out in the evening.
I have just realised that the Great Ireland Run is just 7 weeks away! EEK!!!!

AND, the marathon in Edinburgh is just 15 weeks away this Sunday. For the love of all things healthy, I need some inspiration.

Fitting into my clothes properly should be enough!

RIGHT, Here and now, I am vowing to get my ass in gear. Literally and get out running again.
I have my flights and accommodation booken and, lets face it, in the CC (Current Climate) I cannot afford to just fling the guts of €150 into the bin (between entry, hotel and flights)

All encouraging notes and words are very much appreciated!

Orls
xx

Vote Early, Vote Often!!!

Okay, you can only vote once on the website, but you can text as many times as you want!!!!!

Right, for all you face bookers out there, visit the link below and vote for the lovely Alison Curtis as Best National DJ for the Meteor Awards.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=61255901018&h=7ekv-&u=agKSJ

As the only girlie nominated, she deserves to show the boyos how its done.
Oh and she is brilliant!!

Gimme an "A", Gimme an "L", Gimm an "I", Gimme an "S", Gimme an "O", Gimme an "N"

Night now!

Orlsxx

I "HEART" chocolate!

Photos, as promised of all the lovely things that I am making for tomorrow's Alison Curtis Show.
The first is a sample of the truffles.
Chocolate Truffles are surprisingly easy to make. They take a little care when mixing the cream and chocolate and making sure that they do not split, but over all, a lot easier than you think!

Take 275g of good chocolate, with a cocoa content of no less than 60%. Break into very small pieces and place in a large heat proof bowl.
In a saucepan. bring 250mls to the boil. Take care not to over boil!
Once boiled, pour the cream onto the chocolate and leave to sit for 2 mins. When the 2 mins are up, stir the mixture carefully, and bring the whole thing together.
Take 50g of unsalted butter and add half to the mix and encorporate. Then take the 2nd half and add, by mixing slowly.
If the mix starts to split, put into a blender and whisk until it all comes together again.

I usually, allow the mix to cool until it is a fudgy texture. Using a wide nozzle, pipe the ganache onto a baking sheet in long log shape lines. Allow to cool completely and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When you are ready to shape, take out of the fridge and cut into small half inch log shapes. To make rounds, get some of the latex gloves you can buy in a pharmacy and wear them. Roll the truffle in the ball of your hand into the shape you desire and drop into a bowl of cocoa powder. Move them round to make sure they are completely coated.
THe truffles will keep for about a week in the fridge. Keep in an airtight box and they will keep for about 2 weeks.



I have coated these truffles in cocoa powder AND I took some chocolate that is chilli flavoured that I had knocking around, and I blitzed it up into a powder, and coated it in that too. I reckon that should raise some temperatures and all that!!!
Bagged and ready to go, I think that they look kind of cute!

TH next treat are shortbread with cacao nibs, which are a natural aphrodisiac

THe recipe is the same as for the lemony men I made for James back in November. One small change is that I added about 75g of cacao nibs to the flour and butter mix. I made sure they were well mixed through before adding the sugar and bringing the whole thing together.

As with the lemony men, cook for about 8-10 mins at 180degrees, but keep a close eye on the ones at the edge of the tray as they can turn from golden and sweet ,to a little too brown and not as tasty in the space of a minute!!! I usually set the buzzer on the oven for 8 mins and then watch them for the next 2 mins just to make sure.

Allow them to cool completely before you move them to an airtight container. They break easily when very fresh!

:)

Right, and so to bed. I have dreams to catch up on as I have not slept properly in about 4 days!

Orlsxxx

Nibbly nibs.

We get free fruit scones at work every Wednesday morning and they are, I have to admit, divine.
I am a bit wierd in that I am not the biggest fan of heated scones with butter and jam, or even cream. I like them dry. With no condiments.
And only slightly warm, with a crunchy and slightly hard outside.
I especially love when the raisins and currants are all hard and shriveled up from the oven. It gives them a kind of sweet/bitter (or even bitter/sweet) taste.
So there you are. I am weird!!!!

Another thing that gets me through the mental days at work is this bunch of folks, http://www.todayfm.com/Shows/Weekdays/Ray-Foley/BLOG.aspx
Ray, JP and Adelle are on from 12 -2.30 every day and are a bit daft. Nice mindless chatter to sometimes take my mind off work.

I have the truffles made and chillin' in the fridge at home for the Alison Curtis Show tomorrow night. I have yet to coat them in cocoa powder and chilli chocolate. Tonight will be spend rolling them in afore mentioned powder. And I will also make the shortbread that I love so much. Sprinkled through the biccies is Cacao nibs, which are a super food. They look a bit odd though and when I brought them to Electric Picnic last year, I was asked whether they were "funny cookies" They weren't!!!

Anyway, Cacao Nibs are the fruit of the cocoa plant and are super high in antioxidants, and in the spirit of all things valentines, are a natural aphrodisiac!!! While incredibly bitter to eat on their own (they are like eating 100% chocolate) they are much mellower when encorporated in biscuits. Photos and recipes to follow!!!

chow for now!

Orls xxx

Breakers

A friend of Mr. C and mine, The Mighty Vinser, runs a great music night in Kavanagh's pub in Portlaoise, called Breakers (www.myspace.com/breakersroom)

The most recent performer was the lovely and very talented Mick Flannery. Mr Flannery has recently released his second album, White Lies, and has been getting amazing amounts of radio play with the first single, Tomorrow's Paper's, and more recently, Safety Rope.

Anyway, he played in Breakers at the end of January and it was a most successful evening's entertainment. I have to admit that I was a little worse for wear following a run in with a bottle of Jameson and my best mate Caroline the night before. But it was the kind of music that you can just sit and listen to. No audience participation required. (Apart from applause following the lovely tunes.
Here are some pictures of the man himself. He did play with a full band and you can see the other images on my flickr (www.flickr.com/orlak)

Another very lovely and very talented bloke played on the night. Bill Coleman (http://www.bcoleman.com/) warmed up the crowd with his musical abilities. Bill uses a loop pedal to layer vocals and guitar riffs to create a very unique and fresh sound. Check out his web page for tunes and news/updates. Bill is also in the process of recording some new tracks for release, so keep an eye on his website for news of releases!

In my slightly hungover state, I noticed this lovely piece of interiors. PJ Kavanagh, propriotor of Kavanaghs pub, recently completely renovated the performance area to double the audience space, making the place one of , if not the best venue in Portlaoise and the surrounding areas. The renovations did not stop at doubling the space, but included some very cool paintings and wallpapers. It also included this beautiful light fitting (below) that I love.

I also indicated to PJ, my grá for the light and told him that it would fit in my handbag if I really tried.

I couldn't try as I was in pain the last time. However, next time, I am bringing my ladder and my screwdriver set.

tee hee hee!!!!

Right, Off to watch them cutting up pigs on Grey's Anatomy. Strange tie in between that and the medieval sacrifice of a pig I just read about in Anthony Bourdain's book " A Cook's Tour - In Search of The Perfect Meal"

So there you are.

Orls xxx

Masterchef, chocolate biscuits and cake!

I love Masterchef. It makes the cold winter evenings when I am not out running more bearable. My lovely friend Hellers reckons that I should enter it. But my cooking is certainly not up to scratch. And add to that the fact that I have a very diminished sense of smell (and taste), I would probably fail the ingredients challenge miserably!!!
However, whenever Hellers is top judge, I will deffo enter as she would just get rid of the rest and we would cook stuff and eat it together.

Hellers, should enter her most amazing Chicken Wings. You would get up in the middle of the night to eat them! I swear. Hellers, I want the recipe please! : )

Another recipe that I love is for Chocolate Biscuit cake. I haven't had any in years. I find that it can be very very rich and sometimes is just a little too much but I was asked would I make a large cake for my newest cousin, Austin's christening.
As I had never made one before, I first of all checked whether raisins were wanted or not and I was told just chocolate and biscuits. Nothing fancy!!

After some surfing, I came across a really simple recipe on the Odlum's website. http://www.odlums.ie/
Catherine Leyden is a regular on Ireland AM on TV3. I like her style so I knew that it would be a simple enough and reliable recipe.
Firstly, get hold of a good heavy cake tin. I decided that such an important occasion (and the fact that my family has lots of people in it) I would splash out, and I bought a brand new 10" square cake tin.

Line your tin with cling film and leave enough over the edges to fold back in on the cake when the tin is full.
For a 10" cake you will need the following. It seems like a lot, but it is a big cake!
2lbs butter, 2lbs good quality chocolate, 1 pint golden syrup, 3 packs of digestive biscuits(regular size) and 1.5 packs of rich tea.

Melt the butter and Golden syrup over a medium heat. In a glass bowl, over a simmering pot of water, melt the chocolate. While they are melting, roughly bash the biscuits and put them in a large pot.

When the chocolate is melted, add to the butter and syrup mixture. When properly combined, pour over the biscuits and mix, ensuring that all the biscuits are coated.

When mixed throught, transfer the cake mix to the pre lined cake tin. Carefully, press the mixture into the tin. I found that lifting the cake tin off the counter a little and just dropping it onto it, helped to free air bubbles and flatten the mix a little. Just be careful not to drop it completely as it will be heavy.

Fold over the cling film and push the mixture into the tin a little more. Transfer to the fridge and allow to set for about 3-4 hours. The cake will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

I flipped the cake out the day before the christening and carefully peeled off the cling film. I used a roll out fondant icing to cover the cake and some blue ribbon around the base.

It seemed to go down well and we had to rescue a big chunk of it and hide it in the fridge so it wouldn't all be eaten!

Right, waffling over. I have a shopping list to write for the baking I am doing for the Valentine's Special of the Alison Curtis Show this Thursday.

Food with natural Aphrodisiacs and some ingredients that are bound to get pulses racing! More on that later in the week.

Orls xxx